Railway-signal.



H. S. WILLIAMS & L. G. WILSON.

RAILWAY SIGNAL,

, APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1910.

1,1 01,369, Patented June 23, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I21 I21 EIEE'I Q g Q g M 3v Hill 3 WZZZzhms "M H. S. WILLIAMS 8: L. G. WILSON.

' BA ILWAY SIGNAL. AP PLIGATIOH FILED AUG. 31, 1910.

1,101,369. Patented June 23,1914

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ottoman ms. WILLIAMS & L. G. WILSON. RAILWAY SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1-910.

PzitentedJune 23, 1914 4 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

NEE

-li E H. S. WILLIAMS 4; L. G. WILSON.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 31, 1910- 1,101, 369. Patented June 23,1914.

4 SHEETSS-H*EET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAL S. WILLIAMS AND LYMAN G. WILSON, 'OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914..

signaling device operating on closing 0f the circuit, relatively movable contacts in the circuit, and a fusible or destructible element which extends along a portion of the track structure and. which is operatively connected with one of the contacts so as to hold it disengaged from the other contact to hold the circuit open.

. A still further object, of the invention is to provide a main signaling device and a supplemental signaling-device both operating simultaneously on closing of the circuit, one of'such devices being designed for use as a day signal while the other one is designed for use as a night signal.

a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the 1' line 33 0 Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of 'Fi' 3. Fig. 5. is a sectional elevation of the urner. Fig. 6 is a detail section through a portion of the wick tube showing the association of the figniter therewith. Fig. 7 is a detail section through aportion of the shaft casing, the shaft being'shown in'elevation. Fig. 8 is a detail diagrammatic view showing the contacts and the electrodes in the electric circuit. Fig. 9' is a detail top plan .view of a portion of the track structure showing the application of'a slightly modified form of our invention 1 thereto. Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line 10-,10'of Fig.9. 11 is a detail section through oneof the guide members.- Fig. 12 is a similar view through a slightly modified form; of guide member. Fig. 13 is bridges or curves in the track structure or it.

may be arranged anywhere on the line. A. hollow standard 1 extends upwardly from the base member 2. This base member is preferably mounted on the large tie A of the track structure B and located adjacent to one of the rails of the structure. The standard 1 is provided with a vertical shaft 3 whose lower end extends through the base 2, and as illustrated, a crank arm 4 is secured thereto. The crank arm 4 has secured thereto one end of a wire-like fusible or destructible element 5, the opposite end of the wire being secured to the track structure and preferably to one of the ties thereon. The said element 5 preferably extends between antifriction rollers 6 in the bearingmember to one of the rails of they track structure, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The purpose of the bearing member 7 and the antifriction rollers 6 is to permit the fusible wire 5 to move freely when it is partly mutilated or when it is burned between its In the drawings, forming a portion of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views: Figure 1 is an end view of our improved signal showing the same appliedv to a portion of a trackstructure. Fig. 2 is fixed point and the bearing member. A spring 8 preferably of helical form has one end secured to the base 2, the opposite end of the spring is secured to the shaft 3 so that the sprin will exert its tension to revolve the sha t on destruction of the element 5. r

The standard 1 has fixed thereto at its upper end a casing 9 whose ends are formed with openings in which the lenses or transarent elements 10 are arranged. The casmg 9 is so arranged with respect to the track structure that the lenses 10 are visible to the engineer on movement of the train in either direction.

An electric circuit is arranged in the casa 4. This bearing member is located adjacent said induction coil is connected by the wire I with one terminal of the battery J. The opposite terminal of the battery J is connected by the wire 15 to the other fixed contact 11. A main signaling device 16 cons'isting preferably of an oil lamp or the like is employed and as illustrated particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, it is disposed di,

rectly in line with the lenses 10. The burner 17 is provided with any well known form of wick tube 18 and immediately thereabove are arranged the electrodes 19 and 20 which are spaced sufiiciently from each other so that through virtue of the induction coil when the electric circuit is closed the spark will jump across the air ap at that point immediately above the wick of the burner to ignite the same. The electrode 20 is grounded on the burner. The electrode 19 extends through the glass or like suitable'well known insulated tube 21. As shown, this elect-rode is connected by the wire 22 with one terminal of the secondary of the induction coil, while a wire 23 has one end connected with the burner, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the free end thereof connected to the remaining terminal of the secondary winding of the induction coil; The auxiliary signaling device comprises a pivoted arm 24 which is located on the standard 1 near the upper end thereof, this arm is connected at one end with a target 25. The arm 24 may be supported in a horizontal position by the pivotally connected links 26 and 27. The link 27..is .=.p ivot ally connected with the arm 24 and the link 26 is pivotallj connected with the standard? i'lhe arm 24 ispro'vided with .a portion28 which may belextended through the slot 29 in the casing 9 when it is desired to hold the target immediately at one side of the casing. The portion 28 of the arm' has formed thereon a pin 30 which is designed to be engaged by the hooked end 31 of a pivoted lever 33. The lever 33 is provided with a portion 34 which is disposed in the path of movement of the trip member 35 on the shaft 3. This constructionis such that simultaneously on closing of the electric circuit the trip member 35 will contact with the portion 34 of the member 33 to move the hooked end 31 thereof to released position to permit the target arm-to fall downwardly by gravity to an operative position.

In the modified form of our invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a crank arm 36 of the contact shaft is designed for engagement in the bell crank lever 37. This lever is mounted on the track structure and the arm 38 thereof extends over the said crank arm 36 and it is hooked, as shown at. 39, to hold the crank arm against the tension of the 41. This trip member is mounted on the track structure, and asillustrated, oneterminal of the fusible element 42 is secured thereto. A spring 43 is fixed to the trip element 41 so as tomove the same into engagement with the lever .37 immediately on destruction of the element 42. As shown in Fig. 9, two of such elements 41 are employed and the fusible elements are arranged so that ,found equally as effective in cases of washouts or in any cases where destruction of the track structure would militate or destroy that part of the signaling system which tends to hold theelectric circuit open.

A brief illustration of thesignaling system described herein and shown may be described as follows: Assuming the shaft 3 to be in a set position and held so by the fusible or destructible element which extends along sides of the track structure, the

contactsll and 13 will be disengagedfrom each other. On destructionof the said fusible element thejshaft 3 will be released therefrom and under tension of the spring 8 the shaft will be revolved to cause its contact to engage the contacts 1.1. At this time the circuit will be closed and, incident to the provision of the induction coil and the electrodes 19 and 20 of the lamp the spark in' its jump across the air gap above the wick tube will ignite the wick and the light will continue to burn uninterrupted. In some cases it may be found desirable to open the primary circuit of'the induction coil after .the destruction of the fuse element. For this reason we employ a circuit breaker 44 which preferably consists of a fuse'wire, 45 which extends directly over the wick tube of the burner '46 as shown in liig. 13 of the draw-} I ings. The fuse element 45 has one of its ends connected with the post 47 of the burner. This post 47 is equipped with a binding post 48,'while a post 50, connected at one end to the free end of the-fuse element 45, is rounded upon the burner, as is also a bin ing post 50. When? the circuit breaker is used, the wire E leading from the battery -D,to the res ective terminal of the primary winding 0 the induction coil is s lit intermediate its ends andjlthe ends of t e split-portion connected to" the binding posts 48 and 50. respectively.

In the modified form of the invention, the electrode 19 is substantially identical to that described in the preferred form and the wire 22 is connectedto the induction coil as previously described The post '47 is insulated from the burner a shown at 52. In this form of the invention, it will be seen that when the circuit is closed, the current of the primary of the induction coil .will flow through the binding post 50, through the post 50, fuse. wire 45, post 47 and then through the binding post 48 and remaining portion of wire E back to the battery. After the wick of the burner has been ignited, the fuse element 45 of the burner will be destroyed and the primary circuit opened.

The system described and delineated herein is extremely imple and can be manufactured at a relatively low cost and when once installed will be found efficient, durable and reliable for the purpose intended. In the form of bearing shown at 7 in Fig. 12 of the drawings, anti-friction rollers 6 are disposed vertically.

We claim 1. A signaling system including an electric circult, a source of current therefor, a lamp, an igniter for said lamp arranged in the circuit, a gravity signal, means for holding said signal normally inoperative, a rotary shaft provided with means adapted to release said gravity signal, means carried by said shaft for closing the circuit to the igniter for" lighting the lamp, a-s'pring encircling said shaft for rotatlng the same, a crank "connected to said shaft, and destructible track means connected to said crank to prevent movement of the shaft under the action of the spring.

2. A signaling system including an electric circuit, a source of current therefor, a lamp, an'igniter arranged in the circuit and adapted to light the lamp, a gravity signal, means for retaining said signal in inoperative position, a rotary shaft, means carried by said shaft for closing the circuit to the igniter, means carried by the shaft for releasing the signal holding means, a spring encircling said shaft for rotating the same whereby to release the signal and simultaneously close the circuit to the igniter, and destructible track means connected with said rotary shaft and holding the same normally against movement under the action of said spring. v

3. A signaling system including a base, a

hollow standard mounted upon the base, a casing fixed to the upper end of said standposition, a rotary shaft mounted in said hollow standard, means carried by the shaft and adapted to'close the circuit to the,

igniter, means mounted on the shaft for releasing the signal holding means, means for rotating said shaft to simultaneously light the lamp and release the gravity signal, and a destructible track signal connected with thelast-named means to normally prevent movement of the shaft.

4. A signaling system for railways including a plurality of signals, a rotary shaft, means holding one of said signals in an inoperative position, means carried by said shaft and adapted to actuate the first means to release sald signal, means carried by said shaft and adapted to actuatethe other of said signals simultaneously with the operation of the first signal, and a destructible element arranged upon the-track structure and normally holding said shaft against movement. I

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

HAL S. WILLIAMS.

' LYMAN G. WILSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES S. VERNER, W, T. AYcooK. 

